Swimming
by HuskyLeaf
Summary: Drake's afraid to swim, Josh tries to help.


_**A/N;**_ Sorry the story is pretty fast and may be a little. . .corny. I seem to stink at writing oneshots, lol. Oh well! This is just a random thing I wrote, so please review but no flames, please. Thanks.

I also do not own Drake & Josh.

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--FlashBack--

"Drake," Audrey spoke to a little seven year old boy, who was her son. "Why don't you come here?"

Drake was standing outside of a pool. He was staring at his mother, who was standing in the water. She was holding out her arms to him. Drake spoke. "I don't want to, mommy. . ." his voice sounded frightened and stiff.

Audrey walked closer to him. "If you come in, I'll hold you and I won't let go. Nothing will happen to you. I promise,"

"No!" Drake almost begged. "I don't wanna. . ."

Audrey had a worried look on her face. Drake took a couple steps back, he could hear laughter coming from the pool where people were, they were enjoying their time. Audrey continued to try and reason with her son, "Drake, I promise you nothing will--"

"Don't make me, mommy! Please!" Drake almost began to cry. He was obviously terryfied of swimming. Audrey felt terrible for him now. He had never acted so scared in his life of water.

--End FlashBack--

Seventeen year old Drake Parker sat in his room playing his guitar. It was the last days of summer, and Drake had never felt so glad. Everytime it was summer, his wreched fear would come back to his mind. . .his fear of swimming. Drake would never admit to being afraid of water, nor would he even admit he was afraid of anything. Josh didn't even know about his fear, and Drake vowed never to reveal it.

Only Audrey knew about his secret fear, she's never made him go in the water.

The door to the room opened and in walked Josh, who was heading over to Drake. "Drake! Drake, guess what?!" he sounded perky.

Drake noticed his brother standing there but refused to stop playing his guitar. Josh continued to shout his name, "Drake! I have something important to tell you-"

Drake could hear him, and he stopped strumming his guitar and stared at Josh tensly. "_What_?"

Josh held up two tickets. "Guess what I got?"

"Dude, I already asked _what_." Drake said.

Josh ignored his comment. "I won two tickets to go to that new water park near us! The _Beach Sun_ water park!"

". . ." Drake strummed his guitar string once, staring at his step-brother. "So?"

"I thought we could both go-" he was instantly interupted.

"I don't wanna go," Drake replied. "So, no thanks."

Josh stared at him bluntly. "Why? You promised me we could do something before the summer ends! And this is it!"

"Josh, I really don't wanna go." Drake stated. "Why don't you ask Megan to go or something?"

"'Cause she wouldn't go with me even if I asked." Josh said. "C'mon! Please--"

"No!" Drake snapped. "I _don't_ wanna go, Josh. Nothing you say will make me change my mind,"

Josh stared at him longer. Drake began to strum his guitar once more, trying to lose himself in his music again. Josh spoke, "_Please_?"

"No." Drake bit his lip softly.

Josh tried begging his step-brother into going. "Do you hate the water or something?"

". . . ." Drake looked at Josh seriously, almost enough to creep Josh out. "Of course not. I mean, seriously, who's afraid of water?"

"You?" Josh quizzed.

Drake placed his guitar down on his bed and jumped off it, landing infront of Josh. "There's no way _I'm_ afraid of water. I'm not afraid of some stupid water. It can't hurt me--"

"For someone who's not afraid you're sure protesting alot." Josh replied. "And people usually do that when they have something to hide."

Drake forced a fake laugh. "No way, man! I'm not--"

"Drake," Josh gave him a look. "You don't have to lie to me. I'm your brother and you can tell me anything,"

". . .So what if maybe I _am_ afraid?" Drake stared at Josh.

"Why would you be afraid?" Josh asked him.

Drake replied, he didn't want to talk about it but decided it was best. ". . .When I was six. . .there was this dude who died from drowning and it was reported on TV. . .I've always been worried it'd happen to me. . .Drowning doesn't sound fun,"

Josh noticed his look, a look of worry. "Do you know how to swim?"

". . .Yeah. . .But I'm never gonna try." he replied honestly. "I mean, what if I accidently forgot how to swim and began to drown?"

"Life's full of risks, Drake." Josh tried to comfort him. "I'd be there with you, and if you started to go under. . .I'd help you."

Drake shook his head. "No. I still don't wanna go,"

"If you don't face your fears, you'll never be able to control it." Josh tried to reason.

"Don't make me go, Josh-"

Josh continued. "You won't regret it! Drake, I promise I will not let you drown if you go."

". . . .If I go, will you get off my back?" Drake asked.

"Yeah." Josh replied. "So you're cool with the idea?"

"I guess. . .But if I die, I'm gonna come back to haunt you."

Josh watched Drake walk past him over to his drawer, obviously to get his water shorts. After several minutes of getting ready, the two boys heading out to the new water park.

_Ding._

It had been ten minutes, Drake and Josh had just arrived at the park. Drake noticed the two people at the large gates letting two other people in, Drake turned to Josh. "I thought you said we were the only ones allowed at the grand opening."

"I guess they must've changed it." Josh shrugged. They walked over and held out the tickets and entered, the gates behind them closed. Drake suddenly felt a strange feeling of horror inside him as he gazed at the large pool of water. His fingers began to twitch and Josh noticed. "It's okay, Drake."

"Can I go back to the car?" Drake asked. ". . .I think I'm gonna vomit."

"Once you get inside the pool you'll feel better!" Josh tried to make him feel better.

Drake swallowed hard. "I dunno. . .if I can do this, Josh."

Josh began. "Come on. . like I said, if you don't try, you'll never get it right."

Drake watched Josh walked over to the pool and step inside the water. Jos turned to Drake and spoke, "The water's cool! Come on inside-"

Drake began to have memories flash through his mind. The TV show with the man drowning, his mother trying to convince him to swim, so many things flashed through his eyes. Drake didn't even care anymore, he thought about going back to the car or even walking back home. Drake decided to just walk away, but then heard Josh begin to shout. "Drake!"

"Ugh. . ." Drake moaned and spun around. "What is--"

Drake could see Josh in the middle of the pool throwing his arms in the air franticly. "Help me, Drake! Help!"

Drake could have easily sworn in horror, but refused to use such language. Nobody seemed to notice Josh's quiet cries for help, probably because the other two people were gone and the owners of the pool must be at lunch. Drake knew he was the only one here now, he was the only one who could do something.

With a deep breath, Drake walked over to the pool and looked down at his reflection in the water. Then he heard Josh's cries for help again. Drake looked at Josh quietly. Drake felt panicked, before he knew it he was racing torwards Josh in the pool. Drake was forcing himself to swim over to his drowning brother. Drake took ahold of Josh's hand and tried to hold him up. "Hang on, Josh!" Drake shouted.

Josh continued to flail his arms, then suddenly he looked over at Drake who had a look of worry. Josh quit throwing his arms up and began to float on the water. "Drake-"

"Am I gonna have to give you CPR!?" Drake sounded terryfied. "Let me pull you over to the side and help--"

"Drake, I'm okay!" Josh said. "Would you kill me if I told you I was faking it?"

Drake still had a look of fear on his face, which then turned into sheer surprise. ". . . .Wha--What did you just-"

"It was the only way to bring you out here." Josh answered. "If I didn't, you'd still be there all alone."

". . .So. . .this is all a joke?" Drake asked. "You weren't really dying and I came out here for no reason at all?"

"Pretty much." Josh nodded.

Drake wanted to strangle Josh at this very moment. ". . .You're gonna be drowning in a minute when I'm done with you!"

"But, Drake," Josh started, feeling as if he should talk quickly before he did so something crazy. "Look at where you are!"

Drake paused and looked down, only to see water surounding him. "Oh, oh s--"

"Don't lose your confidence, or you will drown!" Josh said. "You're actually swimming, Drake!"

". . .I am." Drake finally replied.

"How does it feel to swim?" Josh asked.

Drake replied. "It feels. . .warm, and nice, I guess. . ."

Josh felt rather proud of himself. He hoped maybe Drake had come over his fear of water, then Drake suddenly spoke. "Josh,"

"Yeah?" he asked.

". . .Start swimming away." Drake replied. "'Cause I'm gonna strangle you for making me panic like that!"

Josh could feel Drake's tension, so he began to swim away quickly. Drake quickly followed him, he may now have a little confidence, but that doesn't mean he still doesn't worry.

The End.


End file.
